Question:
Back pain?

Just yesterday I started having upper back pain. what is that all about. Also, my legs ache in back of my knees. Do you think it is from walking. I do some outside and some on treadmill.    — bikermama (posted on May 15, 2008)

May 15, 2008
You know.....I am just 3 weeks out from RNY and my legs ache in the back of my knees too! I don't have the upper back pain but I will be interested to know what people have to say? I was thinking perhaps calcium deficiencies??
   — smarshall1975

May 15, 2008
My chiropractor said I could expect aches and pains as I lose the weight because of the constant rapid shift in the way the bone and muscle are supporting the remaining weight. She was very interested to see how my spinal x-ray changes over the weight loss process. She has done an x-ray pre-surgery and will do another in six months all at her own cost. Hope this helps. Love my chiropractor.
   — waterlover

May 15, 2008
It depends on the type of pain. You are a pretty fresh post-op. Leg pain can sometimes indicate DVT (blood clots.) Are your legs red, hot, swollen, or tender? Are you having any difficultly breathing, i.e short of breath or feeling like there is pressure on your chest? I strongly recommend a call to your surgeon ASAP. Better safe than sorry.
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 15, 2008
I think part of this is probably due to the fact that you are not bringing in as many calories as you used to before the surgery. I have noticed that when I have back pain, the pain often is less severe or dissipates entirely after I have eaten. Many people with back pain rely upon the back muscles and sometimes the muscles in their abdomen to keep the spine straight. When you do not have enough energy, those muscles become fatigued. When they are fatigued, they are weak and cannot do the job of holding the spine straight. At least that is MY theory. I am not an expert on this. This is just something I have noticed with my OWN body. Often just resting and fueling up helps to restore the muscles' ability to hold things in place. Sometimes the nerves in the spine become too irritated and no amount of rest and refueling will do the job. Often the only recourse is to have an injection of steroids to reduce the inflammation. Other times the bones shift and a visit to the chiropractor is needed to realign them. The best thing I have found though, is to keep the back and abdominal muscles STRONG so that it is EASY for them to do the JOB of keeping the spine aligned. Ask your Chiropractor or back specialist for a list of exercises that you can do to help strengthen the muscles commonly used to help hold the spine in place. There are several different exercises recommended. They should have a list available or know where you can find one. I hope this helps, Hugh
   — hubarlow

May 16, 2008
If you are outside doing bending, stretching or lifting, that's probably the cause. If the pain is bad enough or continues, see your doctor. You may even want to call them just to get their opinion on the best course of action.
   — gonnadoit